Finally got this rewritten. I had it nearly done, but my flash drive went missing...and I couldn't find the motivation to rewrite it for the longest time. xD Then I found the hand-written copy and I found stamina to write. :)

-lazy-

Anyway, enjoy~!

No matter how many bottles Hope recalled emptying, he knew deep down that no amount of alcohol could numb the pain left deep in his heart.

He sat on his bed with a bottle in his hand, passively listening to the New Sanctum news blaring from the television hanging from the wall. Drawers and cupboard doors were left open from when Dezra packed her things – the day Lightning showed up on their doorstep. In just a few hours, Dezra had all of her things moved out of Hope's apartment, leaving only a note on the kitchen table.

I don't want to be the other woman, Hope, she said. You should have mentioned her. Someone should have.

You're a good person, Hope. In spite of all this. If you don't want that to change with both myself and with Lightning, I suggest you apologize to her at the very least. I feel we've both wronged her in a terrible way, and I plan on clearing my hands and apologizing to her once I find an apartment.

I wish you the best.

Love, Dezra

Though his apartment may have claimed otherwise, it had been a full year since Dezra had left him, and he had yet to call Lightning. That wasn't to say that he didn't consider it. He got as far as dialing her number on more than one occasion, only to wonder if she would even bother picking up at this point. After a full year, why would she want to talk to him, much less see him?

So for the millionth time, Hope stared down the phone sitting innocently on his coffee table, running his line of sight over the numbered buttons in the pattern of Lightning's phone number. He'd had it memorized for years, and even in his blurry, drunken mind, it was clear. Those eight digits he used to love dialing and currently would love nothing more than to dial.

Hope sighed and tore his emerald eyes from the phone only to find his sight fallen on a picture poking halfway out of the wallet on the bed. He leaned forward and pulled it out, smiling when he saw himself and Lightning printed on the worn paper.

Again, he looked back up at the phone, biting his lip.

"Some things you just do," he murmured, placing the bottle on the nightstand and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He steadied himself on the wall before walking to the foot of the bed and picking up the handset, slowly dialing the number.

He stopped before he entered the last number and looked up at the door, sighing. "Should I ask to see her…or just say sorry now?" he mused, an answer taking longer than usual to formulate due to the alcohol.

"I shouldn't call her right now," he murmured, feeling his nerve vanishing. He shakily put the phone back in the charging cradle only to linger for a few minutes with his eyes fixed on the object.

He jumped when it began ringing. After shouting and stumbling backward, Hope groaned and sat back up to grab the phone. He laid back down and answered without looking at the ID.

"Hullo…Estheim rez'dense," he slurred into the phone.

"Hope…?"

Hope suddenly sobered, recognizing the feminine voice on the other end of the line. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened, all but one word failing him.

"L…Lightning?"

Final chapter coming soon(ish)~